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01 December 2016 / Ed Crosse
Issue: 7725 / Categories: Opinion , Brexit , Procedure & practice , EU , Profession
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Still number one?

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The government must act soon to protect London as a litigation hub, says Ed Crosse

Legal services have been a major success story for the UK. Several studies have confirmed the fact that the UK has established itself as the premier hub for legal services outside the US. IRN’s UK Legal Services Market Report 2016 estimated the value of UK legal services at £32.1bn in 2015. A report by TheCityUK in July 2016 found that the sector’s trade surplus has nearly doubled over the past decade to £3.4bn in 2015, while the sector’s contribution to the UK economy represented 1.6% of GDP, more than agriculture. It also found that the UK accounts for 10% of the global market for legal services and 20% of legal services in Europe.

An enviable position

That last finding is particularly significant. Many jurisdictions in the EU have long envied the income that the UK derives from exporting English law. They currently sense an opportunity to capitalise on uncertainties created by the Brexit vote. Articles have already

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

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Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

EIP—Rob Barker

EIP—Rob Barker

IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

NEWS
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NLJ this week: Old rules, fresh warnings in employment law
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
NLJ this week: The rise of the ‘ChatGPT client’ rattles the profession
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
NLJ this week: Surrogacy children caught in succession gap
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
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Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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